Container



Feb. l9, 1943. EHRENFELD CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 3l, 1959Feb. 9, 1943. l.. EHRENFELD CONTAINER A2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 51,1939 Patented Feb. 9, 1943 CONTAINER Louis Ehrenfeld, Milwaukee, Wis.,assigner to Pabst Brewing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Application August 31, 1939, Serial N0. 292,757

4 Claims.

My invention relates to shipping containers or cartons for bottled orcanned goods, more particularly to containers for bottled goods that areinjuriously affected by exposure to light for long periods, and myinvention has for an object the provision of a durable and economicalcontainer or carton of this character.

Cartons or shipping containers have heretofore been constructed havingreinforced hand holes in the end walls thereof, and having closuremembers adapted to be unsealed along one edge to provide a hinged coverfor the carton, and my invention relates to improvements in cartons ofthis character, further objects of the invention being to provide acarton or container which is normally closed against the entrance oflight while providing an improved hand hole reinforcing construction andan improved closure that may be readily sealed and easily opened.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference should nowbe had to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a sealed shipping containerembodying my invention, portions of the sealing flaps being broken awaymore clearly to illustrate the constructional details;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat similar View of the container shown in Fig. 1,partially broken away at me corner and with the hinged cover partiallyraised after having been unsealed by slitting tlong one edge;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional iew'taken along the line 3-3of Fig. 1 and illus- :rating the tab portion o f the end wall bent in-I.fardly to provide a hand hole;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along ne 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the rein- ,orcing liner embodiedin the carton shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the clo- A=ure member shown inFig. 1 and embodying my invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a shipping container constitutinganother embodiment of my invention;

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail perspective views of reinforcing linersillustrating further embodiments of my invention; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the end wall of acontainer utilizing a liner such as shown in Fig. 9.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, I have shown my inventionas embodied in a shipping container or carton for bottled beer, whichcontainer is preferably formed of suitable material, such as corrugatedboard or fiber, folded so as to form a bottom wall I0, end walls II, andside walls I2, the end walls II being provided with marginal flaps I3along the upper edges thereof and the side walls I2 being provided withmarginal flaps I4 along the upper edges thereof. The

lower portion of the carton is provided, as shown.

with the usual transverse and longitudinal partition members I5, and aclosure member IB, comprisingfa fiat sheet as illustrated best in Fig.6, is provided for completing the carton.

Adjacent one end of the closure member I6 is cut or slit so as to form apair of depressible tabs or tongues II that are adapted, when theclosure member is placed on the carton, to extend beneath one of the endmarginal flaps I3 and lock the closure member against endwise movementwith respect to the carton. As indicated, the closure member I6 isdisposed within the side marginal flaps I4 which are adapted to befolded over and adhesively or otherwise sealed to the closure member tocomplete the carton.

During the filling and sealing operations, cartons of this character areusually carried on a travelling conveyor, and the sealing operations arecarried out during the continuous movement of the cartons. Referring toFig. 1, it will be apparent that if the carton there shown rests on aconveyor-which is moving in the direction indcated by the arrow I8,engagement of the closure member with pasting or sealing means wouldtend to move the closure member I6 in an endwise direction with respectto the carton. Such endwise movement is prevented, however, by theinterlocking engagement of the depressible tongues I'I with the endmarginal flange I3 on the rear or left-hand end of the carton, as viewedin Figs. 1 and 3.

In order to provide suitably reinforced hand holes which may be utilizedin lifting the carton but which normally do not permit the entrance ofsubstantial quantities of light to the container or carton, each of theend walls II is provided, as shown, with a channel-shaped or U-shapedslit I9 which extends around and thus defines three edges of a tabportion 20, the remaining edge of the tab portion being integral withthe end wall II. Within the carton or container and resting on the upperedges of the partition members I5,

I provide a reinforcing liner 2| which, as shown' extend across the endwalls II of the carton, are provided, as shown, with cut-outs or slots22 aligned with the tab portion 20, so that the upper edge of each ofthe slots 22 extend across the integral edge of the adjacent tab portion20 and forms a bending line therefor.

It is course well known that beverages such as bottled beer areinjuriously affected by exposure to light for extended periods, andaccordingly should be protected therefrom as much as possible. Incartons constructed as described above, substantially all light isexcluded from the carton during storage and transportation periods whilehand holes are provided to facilitate lifting the cartons after deliveryto the consumer. When it is desired to utilize the hand holes forlifting purposes, it is only necessary to press the tab portions 2Binwardly through the slots 22 in the liner 2| so that the fingers of theone desiring to lift the carton may be inserted to grip the end wallsII. As shown in Fig. 3, the tab portions 20, when pressed inwardly,folds about the bending line formed by the upper edge of the slot 22,and when the carton is gripped through the hand hole thus formed, theinner edge of the tab portion will be bent upwardly about thereinforcing liner 2| so as to provide a smooth gripping portion 23 (Fig.3), and so as to lock the liner 2| to the end wall II of the carton.Thus the hand hole and the end wall I I are reinforced against tearing,and it will be apparent that the major portion of the load istransmitted to the longitudinally extending side walls of thereinforcing liner 2 I.

The slits I9 which define the tab portions 20 may of course be formed inany suitable manner, as by die-cutting the end Walls II of the containeror by perforating along lines corresponding to the slits I9, and theterm slit" as used herein is intended to define either a continuous cutor suitable perforations.

The container or carton may be unsealed or opened simply by cutting oneof the side Walls I2 from end to end so as to sever therefrom theassociated marginal flap I4 and the entire closure member I6 may then beswung open as shown in Fig. 2, the opposite marginal nap I4 serving as ahinge. It will be apparent thatl when the closure member I6 is thusswung open the depressible tongues I1 on the closure member readilyrelease the end marginal flap I3. Thus these depressible tongues I1while preventing endwise movement of the closure I6 during the sealingoperation, do not interfere with the swinging opening movement of theclosure member when the carton is unsealed.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a carton or container embodying my invention andprovided with a somewhat different form of reinforcing liner 25, whichliner comprises simply a narrow continuous band of corrugated board orfiber adapted to be positioned within the container adjacent the topthereof so that portions of the liner extend acrossithe end walls I Iand the side walls I2 of the container. The portions of the liner 25which extend across the end walls II are of such a width that the loweredges 26 thereof extend across the integral edges of the tab portions 20in the end walls II, and form bending lines for these tab portions 20 asis described above in connection with the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to6. As shown, the reinforcing liner 25 does not rest on the partitionmembers I5 as does the liner 2I of Fig. 5, and although the liner 25 ispreferably supported within the container solely by frictionalengagement with the end walls II and the side walls I2, it may of coursebe supported inany desired manner. as for example by adhesive.

In Fig. 8, a further form of liner construction is shown which issimilar to that shown in Fig. 5 except that the reinforcing liner 21 ofFig. 8 is provided with cut-out portions 28 in the form of notches whichserve the same function as the 'slots 22 in the construction shown inFig. 5. When the liner 21 is assembled within a container of the typeheretofore described as embodying my invention, the upper edges '29,ofthe cut-out portions or notches 28 extend across the integral edges ofthe adjacent tabs 20 in the end walls II and form bending linestherefor.

In Figs. 9- and 10 I have illustrated a still further embodiment of myinvention, in which a reinforcing liner 30 is provided withsubstantially U-shaped or channel-shaped slits 3| which define tabportions 32 in the portion of the liner member which extend across theend walls II of the container. When the reinforcing liner 30 ispositioned within the container, the tab portions 32 are aligned withthe adjacent tab portions 20 in the end walls II of the container sothat both tab portions may be pressed inwardly and folded upwardly, asshown in Fig. 10, to provide reinforced hand holes 33 having smoothgripping surfaces.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will beunderstood, of course that I do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by theappended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A shipping container having end and side walls provided with foldablemarginal fiaps on the upper edges thereof, a closure member comprising asingle flat sheet adapted to rest on the inwardly folded marginal flapsof said end walls, locking means depending from said closure member inspaced relation to the edges thereof for engaging an edge of themarginal flap on one of said end walls to prevent endwise movement ofsaid closure member, said marginal flaps on said side walls being foldedover the upper surface of said closure member and secured thereto toseal said container, said container being adapted to be opened bysevering the marginal nap from one of said side walls, the marginal flapon said other side wall serving as a hinge for said closure member, saidlocking means on said closure member being readily releasable from themarginal flap on said one end wall to permit said closure member toswing about said hinge.

2. A shipping container having end and side walls provided with foldablemarginal flaps on the upper edges thereof, a closure member comprising adat sheet disposed within the side marginal aps and resting on the endmarginal IapsI said closure member being slit adjacent one end to form adepressible tongue adapted to engage one of said end marginal flaps toprevent endwise movement of said closure member, said side marginalflaps being secured to said closure member to seal the container and topermit opening thereof by severing one of said side marginal flaps fromthe associated side wall, the opposite side marginal ap serving as ahinge for said closure member and said tongue being readily releasablefrom said one end marginal one of said side marginal aps as a hinge andsaid tongues being readily releasable from said one end marginal ap uponswinging movement of said closure member.

4. A shipping container having end and side walls provided with foldablemarginal flaps on the upper edges thereof, partition members within saidcontainer, a liner shaped to correspond to the shape of said containerdisposed within said container with the walls of said liner extendingalongside the walls of said container. the end walls of s'aid containerbeing slit to provide tab portions aligned with cooperating portions ofthe end walls of said liner, saidtab portions normally formingcontinuations of said end walls and being bendable inwardly and upwardlyabout said end walls of said liner to form reinforced hand holes havingsmooth gripping portions, a. closure member consisting entirely of aflat sheet disposed within the side marginal naps and resting on the endmarginal flaps, and a plurality of depressible tongues in said closuremember adapted to be interlocked beneath one of said marginal fiaps toprevent endwise movement of said closure member while said side,

marginal flaps are being sealed thereto to close and seal saidcontainer.

LOUIS EHRENFELD.

